pedantic

[gfrancie]

I decided to make the day a little more interesting by going for a walk around Greenlake with Senor Onion. Yep. Yet another Mummy pushing her kid in a stroller. At least my stroller isn't ginormous and I don't feel the need to have special workout clothes to show how I am a yummy mummy. At one point during the walk, a group of fifteen mothers began to invade the path. They were all together and most of them seemed to have double-strollers. It was like a motorcycle gang. Only fewer guys named Weasel and Chopper Bob.
I was struck by all the people with mp3 players and were talking on their cellphones or texting -all while walking, pushing their kids in a stroller, running and so on. A lot of people seemed sort of unaware of all the interesting things going on around them. Senor Onion and I watched older men fish, a Mama duck and her single baby duck examining the shores. A number of other fecund birds who were jumping each other like teenagers after a few bottles of Zima. And there were all kinds of dogs on leads. Kind of an amateur Westminster dog show. Husky, boston terrier, wheaten, springer spaniel, standard poodle, dachshund and a rather distracted boxer.
I heard a lot of brief snippets of conversation. A favorite was, "So like my parents were hippies? And they said, 'well I guess she is a Vegetarian.' But they weren't sure."

It was so tempting to ask for the complete context of that conversation. Especially when I looked at the woman and she looked like she had walked out of a J. Crew catalog. Though I suppose I could figure out some of it. Rebellion will happen in any situation. Something to think about. Try to raise your child with lentils and Marx and they will do their best to become investment bankers!

For awhile Senor Onion was let out of his stroller so that he might walk a bit and examine things more closely. Unfortunately after awhile he began to try and pick up rocks and eat them. He also tried to pick up a few other disgusting things and handle them. It was back to the stroller which he found to be undignified so he decided to spend some time moaning and throwing his legs up in the air to show to passing walkers that he was obviously being beaten at home and someone should save him and take him home to a family that will let him eat rocks and other disgusting items at will.
He calmed down after a minute when he found that no one wanted to take him up on his offer.

The rest of the walk was calm, delightful and stimulating. We came home and had lunch. He had a nice long nap and now he is running around with vintage cookbooks that have scary pictures in them.

Yesterday I read Atonement by Ian McEwan. As I explained to a couple of friends, I had never read it until now because it came out back when I was working in book shops and so I had to face that thing every single day and I didn't feel like bringing it home. I haven't even seen the movie. I figured let's see what all the opinions are about. Initially I found the book to be rather beautifully written in some places and captured some fascinating details; especially certain human habits/actions. Other parts were incredibly irritating but I was willing to let it go. Then there is the ending. The ending kind of pissed me off. No. It really pissed me off. It was like the author thought you were enjoying yourself too much so he was going to punch you in the stomach and then hand you a little bill for all of that. "That will be 14.95 please. Exact change only." was he feeling too comfortable and didn't want too much love from his readers? I am putting the damn thing on Paperback swap so I don't have to keep it around the house. I put it in the guest room so I don't have to look at it and go, "what the hell was that all about????"
Maybe I will watch the movie next so I can feel irritated all over again. It does have James McAvoy and I would watch him do laundry. Rawr. Hello Sexy man with sexy accent.
Ahem.

As for other books I am reading that don't inspire my wrath, I am still reading, The Coffee Trader by David Liss; which I am enjoying. I am compiling a list of more things to read. Maybe I will read some cozy murder mystery.

I had an interesting experience with the ice cream I made. I used the amount of salt that it calls for but somehow it seems too much because the ice cream remains pretty soft. It is good, the flavor is appealing so I might make it with a touch less salt to see if that will help things. It even had salted butter. (as the recipe calls for) I might ask the author about it and see if he ever had that problem.

Comments

[cigale.livejournal.com]

hmm co-workers of mine won't watch atonement because the ending is different from the one in the book. I guess they liked being pushed in the stomach by the author ;)

And I am glad I am not the only one not wanting to read all the freaking best sellers.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Maybe it is hip to be miserable?
I rarely ever read any books on the best sellers list when I worked for B&N. Occasionally one caught my eye or I wanted to read something so I could hate with authority. (i.e. DaVinci Code)

[maliekai.livejournal.com]

I thought the endings were the same in both?

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Something about the ending in the movie adaptation was a little more tight or something.

[jawnbc]

I am copiously studying all images of you in search of LuluLemonwear™ ;)

I read Amsterdam and thought "how the fook did this win the Booker?" I started Atonement and just couldn't rouse any enthusiasm. But everyone I know who did read was pissed off about the ending. So I'll pass.

Am reading remedial Orhan Pamuk right now. About 20% into The Black Book. Challenging, but well written to a fault. It's his first "big" success, so I'm hopeful My Name is Red and Snow are as captivating as this is artistic.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Hee!
You know I think there are a lot of people who have had similar reactions to McEwan's work. I think if he had just stuck with the first two parts of Atonement he would have had a dandy little book. The last part was just so irritatingly tacked on. Sort of like how Arthur Miller was always one act too long.
I casually looked at at McEwan's other books and nothing struck me as, "oh please read me now." It was more like, "are you feeling too good about life? Well read this and then hang around a bridge."

Maybe I will try Orhan Pamuk next.

[duhbigman.livejournal.com]

I preferred the novel to the movie (even if it was overwritten in a lot of spots), but the modern-day epilogue in the movie really irritated me because it was such a tonal and stylistic departure from everything that had gone before. Novel's ending didn't bother me as much, but maybe just because I was already anticipating a narrative curveball. See the movie and judge for yourself.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

I think there was a combination of things that pissed me off about the ending.
It was so hacky and tacked on.

[scarlettfish.livejournal.com]

I like McEwan, but the ending of Atonement just made me think 'why did I bother reading all that, then?' I get the feeling that McEwan was patting himself on the back big time for that, and nothing is more unappealing in a writer, IMO.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Yeah. That was it.
"oooh look at you Mr. writerman. Think you are hot shit."
You sir Mr. McEwan are a big prick.

[aimgrrrl.livejournal.com]

My oh-so-pithy partner, who is a social worker, wants me to tell you to tell Sr Onion he has no case for child abuse regarding the activities of your walk. The pictures in the old cookbooks, however, may make his case.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Hee.
I thought so. Poor kid, the rocks looked so tasty.

[jenniro.livejournal.com]

i hated atonement (the movie, i mean) soooooo much. like... so much. hah!

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Hee.
What made you hate it so much?

[scream4noreason.livejournal.com]

I suspect you react the same way to mums-with-strollers en masse as I do to gay men:

A kind of instant horror,a recoilknowing you are are one of them but feeling quite sure youre not LIKE them,and you kind of hope you can get by without them noticing.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Yeah.
I tend to kind of feel like a dorky kid in junior high all over again.
I don't wear trainers and work-out clothes. I am kind of quiet and hang out with my kid and I try not to be tuned out.

[rebeccmeister.livejournal.com]

I once tried wearing my iPod around like the other iPod robot-people. I couldn't do it--I wanted to be able to hear the birds and other street noises. I can't believe people are so willing to be so out of touch with their surroundings. Go run on a treadmill, silly robot! Don't even bother going outside if you're going to tune out the world.

It's especially bad when people ride bikes with iPods. It's not just about the fact that no, you can't hear as much with those little ear-buds jammed in your ears (though you can't). It also means you've got one more thing to fuss with, that will distract you from the task at hand. That's not to mention the people I've seen who text-message and ride their bikes at the same time, or operate heavy machinery (cars) and text-message. Sheesh.

/rant

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

I love my mp3 player for things like the bus/plane. Those moments where you are stuck in a situation that doesn't provide a lot of room for movement and the noise can be too much.
It has saved my sanity on many occasions.
But I think the park isn't one of those places. There is so much to take in. I sort of want to be in the present.

[rockrgirl8.livejournal.com]

i love how you describe senior onion having to go back into his stroller. when i was very young at grocery stores when my mom would say "no" to something i wanted i'd tell other people in line that i had a mean mommy...

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Hee.
I know children who would say things like, "Please don't hit me Mommy." When their parents had never laid a hand on them.
Aren't children such little dears?